GLOBE Asiatique La Salle trounced UNO-R 80-70 in OT to advance to the semifinals while Red Phoenix lived to fight another day to upset Toyota Bacolod CSAB 89-82 in Class A action in the 10th Tan Kek Pin Memorial Basketball Cup at TTHS Po Hang Gym, in Bacolod City.
Red Phoenix rallied past Toyota with a 14-0 run in the last 4:20 sec of the ballgame. Jerald Abrot lead at 84-82 with 20.3 seconds left and Abrot also iced the game with 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds remaining.
La Salle Timothy Dumancas layup with 4 seconds remaining sent the game to extra session and delivered the 1st 5 points together with Kevin Villafranca 4 points in OT to jumpstart La Salle to a 72-64 lead. UNO-R Arnold Gono 3 point play and Javen Javillo ft. cut the lead to 72-68 with 1:52 seconds left. But La Salle firmly in control as they limited UNO-R to 2 points the rest of the way, while Rodgi Gelasan and Villafranca converted their free throws to seal the outcome of the game.
The two teams engaged in a defensive battle with UNO-R doing a bit better, as they took a 28-25 edge in the 1st half. Winnie Alvarez had 8 and Gono with 7 points for UNO-R while Villafranca paced La Salle with 10 points.
La Salle raced to a 39-31 lead behind Villafranca and Gelasan in the 3rd quarter as UNO-R was limited to 3 points in the 1st 6:30 seconds of the 3rd quarter. UNO-R cut the deficit to 43-39 at the end of the quarter behind back to back 3 point plays by John Amodia and Javillo.
Nathaniel Salanga 6 points spearheaded a 9-1 UNO-R opening quarter run and take a 49-44 lead with 6:40 seconds left, but a Scot Salvacion triple and a Gelasan layup tied the count anew.
Joemel Paderog, scoreless in the 1st 3 quarters, came alive as he poured 7 of the next 9 points for UNO-R while La Salle Nikos Cuenca contributed 4 points and Scot Salvacion 2nd trey and layup gave the lead to La Salle at 59-58 with 3:02 left.
John Guernila tied the game with a ft with 1:13 remaining and Arnold Gono added 2 ft with 15.5 seconds left for a 61-59 UNO-R lead.
Villafranca delivered a gamehigh 19 points, Dumancas added 13 points, Salvacion with 11 points, Gelasan chipped in 10 points, Jobel Abaring had 7, and Cuenca with 6.
Gono led the losers with 17 points, backstopped by Alvarez 10 points., Salanga had 9 points, Javillo and Paderog with 7 points apiece.
Red Phoenix, winless in the elimination round, is on the verge of advancing to the semis if it repeats over Toyota on February 12, Friday at 7 p.m.
Red Phoenix erected a 46-41 halftime lead as Ariston Sillana and Ryan Gamboa scored 13 and 12 points, Abrot had 7 points and Carlo Pelingon with 6 points while Toyota was led by Alfred Valle, who took the lead from Red Phoenix at 55-54 on a Javelona layup. A nip and tuck battle ensued with CSAB establishing its biggest lead in the quarter on a Kelvin Gatoc putback at 65-61, but Red Phoenix rallied behind Pelingon, Gamboa and Abrot to tie at 67 all at the end of the quarter.
Sillana lay-up gave Red Phoenix a 73-72 lead, Toyota responded with an 8-0 run behind their inside outside attacks. After an Abrot layup broke the silence for Red Phoenix with 5:11 seconds left, Gifter Gigje jumper with 4:20 seconds left was the last point for CSAB as they held an 82-75 advantage.
The trio of Abrot, Gamboa and Sammy Belangel scored one after the other to cut the lead to 81-82 with 1:59 sec. left.
Abrot paced 4 other players in double digit with 20 points. Sillana chipped in 18, Gamboa, Belangel and Pelingon contributed 16, 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Valle and Javelona led Toyota CSAB with 18 points apiece, Cervantes and Gatoc both with 9 points and Laborte and Gigje with 8 points each.
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